People In China Are Getting Photobombed By Smog On Instagram

The smog situation in China isn’t good. Lots of photo reports have captured the dramatic and stunning imagery of the thick pollution that's putting people’s health in serious question. In October, an emergency smog crisis shutdown the capital of Heilongjiang province affecting 11 million people. The air quality index has reached a level of 1000, while a mere 300 is considered hazardous. Still, it hasn't stopped people from Instagramming selfies.

Some people are intentionally snapping Instagram shots to show the pollution, while others are getting photobombed by the haze, which shows up in pictures whether people want it to or not. Beyond health concerns, Shanghai's picturesque cityscapes are a common background, though that too has been affected by the smog.

Tourists trying to capture the city skyline are often defeated by the smog. It's so pervasive that it's on the brink of becoming a meme, along the lines of "I visited China, but all I got was a picture of smog." Hopefully for the health of those involved, however, snapping smog selfies doesn't become the unavoidable norm.

Great example of how the world is connected via social media. I see this a great way to raise awareness of the environmental problem in Asia. Other parts of the world will definitely be able to help with a platform that is effective to escalate and expose the problem to the authority and corporations who largely benefits from outsourcing. It's sad when we compare Instagram, more so that this is one ecosystem.